Prey
:The importance of eating is something the Clans are concerned about every day. They eat to keep up strength and maintain the health of the Clan as a whole. Each of the Clans have a hunting specialty, due to the terrain they are familiar with and the traditions the cats are raised with. Many different species are hunted by the warrior cats. Usually, after killing prey, a cat will bury it to keep it safe from other predators until they are ready to carry it back to camp. The cats eat the prey by eating the meat and some feathers, fur, skin, and scales. The remains of the bones and the outer covering are buried. Amphibians Frogs :Frogs are leathery gray-green or gray-brown amphibians with powerful hind legs and a small brown patch by each eye. They are two to three kitsteps (inches) long and covered in leathery skin. They do not walk, but jump in most circumstances. Frogs are found near ponds, pools and swamps. They are only eaten by ShadowClan. ::Specie(s): Bull frog ::Book Mentions: ::Starlight: Littlecloud comments on his hunger and wouldn't mind eating a frog and the other medicine cats exclaim in surprise, but Littlecloud defends them, saying, "They don't taste that bad!" ::Secrets of the Clans: During the tour of the old ShadowClan camp, Boulder says something along the lines of "Oh, I see you've spotted a frog. The skin is very chewy and underneath it tastes like mixed rabbits and fish." Toads :Toads are greenish-brown amphibians with thick legs and warty skin. They are three to five kitsteps (inches) long and possess a heavy rounded shape. Unlike frogs they will walk rather than jump. Toads favor damp woodland areas for their homes. ::Specie(s): American spadefoot toad ::Book Mentions: Secrets of the Clans Newts :Newts are amphibians with four equal-length legs (unlike frogs and toads) that possess a rudder-like tail for better swimming. They have leathery green or brown skin, sometimes with red markings. Some even have a frill that runs down the spine. They vary greatly in size, ranging from two to six kitsteps (inches). Newts favor swampy areas near ponds when making their homes. ::Specie(s): rough-skin newt ::Book Mentions: Avians Eagles :Eagles are birds of prey. They are described a huge birds with cold, cruel eyes, wide wings and curved talons. They are the prey of choice for the Tribe of Rushing Water. ::Specie(s): ::Book Mentions: Moonrise, Dawn, Outcast Hawks :Hawks are birds of prey that the Tribe of Rushing Water catch. The chicks are taken as prey in the season of "freed-water" or newleaf. They are smaller than eagles. ::Specie(s): Wikipedia: ::Book Mentions: A Dangerous Path, Moonrise, Dawn Falcons :Falcons are another kind of bird of prey. This is the most commonly taken piece of prey by the Tribe of Rushing Water. They are smaller and faster than hawks. ::Specie(s): Wikipedia: ::Book Mentions: Moonrise, Dawn Finches :Finches are commonly known as chaffinches. They are a type of songbird often caught by ThunderClan. ::Specie(s): Wikipedia: ::Book Mentions: Coming Soon Thrushes :Thrushes are another kind of songbird. They have blue-gray feathers and dark eyes. ::Specie(s): Wikipedia: ::Book Mentions: Coming Soon Sparrows :Sparrows are small, plump brown-gray birds with short tails and stubby, powerful beaks. ::Specie(s): Wikipedia: ::Book Mentions: Coming Soon Crows :Crows are scavenging birds with black feathers. In Into The Wild , Ravenpaw says that Tigerclaw was proud of him for catching an old (but huge) crow. ::Specie(s): Wikipedia: ::Book Mentions: Into the Wild, Dark River Pigeons :Pigeons are commonly known as wood pigeons in the Warriors Saga. In Rising Storm Cloudtail kills one before Firestar is able to. ::Specie(s): Wikipedia: ::Book Mentions: Rising Storm , ''A Dangerous Path'' Doves :Doves are peaceful white or gray birds that are only killed by Thunderclan. ::Specie(s): Wikipedia: ::Book Mentions: Coming Soon Starlings :Starlings are a type of songbird. Firestar seems to enjoy them a lot. ::Specie(s): Wikipedia:Starling ::Book Mentions: Midnight Magpies :Magpies 'are prey killed by ThunderClan. They are black and white. ::'Specie(s): 'Wikipedia:Magpie ::'Book Mentions: ''Forest of Secrets'' Fish The main prey of RiverClan, different species have not been mentioned often and are simply referred to as "fish," no matter what species the fish is. In Code of the Clans it was revealed that trout and salmon are eaten by the feral cats. Soricomorphs Moles :Moles have velvety black fur, spade-like paws, and tiny eyes. While they do not see well they are rarely sighted above ground, making them difficult for cats to kill. Moles can be found anywhere that earthworms are. ::Specie(s): Talpa Europaea ::Book Mentions: Coming Soon Shrews (terrestrial) :Shrews are small rodent-like creatures with gray to brown fur, long noses, small eyes and somewhat rounded bodies. They live in woodland areas or near hedgerows, while keeping most of their activity to the night, dusk, or dawn. It was Ivypaw's first prey. ::Specie(s): Sorex Araneus, & Sorex Minutus ::Book Mentions: Midnight: page 127 Water Shrews :Water Shrews are large shrews who are well adapted to life in and on the edge of water. They have small ears, a waterproof coat and tail with a line of stiff fur that acts as a rudder. They are active mainly at night, usually just before dawn. They live in burrows at the edge of unpolluted flowing water. RiverClan catches them a lot. In the old forest ThunderClan would sometimes catch them too. ::Specie(s): Neomys Fodiens ::Book Mentions: Coming Soon Lagomorphs Rabbits :Rabbits are compact animals with long legs, oval shaped heads, and long ears. Their fur is typically brown with ruddy streaks, the underside of the animal normally being paler than the topside. Their fur is thick and soft, but not waterproof. Rabbits live in burrows they dig in soil that is soft enough. They prefer the mouths of these burrows to be located in areas with a lot of cover. They are quick, swift animals and are usually only caught by WindClan, but sometimes caught by ThunderClan. Longtail was blinded because a rabbit scratched him in the eyes. ::Specie(s): Oryctolagus Cuniculus ::Book Mentions:Midnight: (Paperback) 127 Hares :Hares have long legs and ears similar to a rabbit. Their fur is most commonly an orange shade of brown. They live in shallow scrapes in the ground at the bases of brush and briar. They are most active at dusk and dawn, favoring the cover of dark for their foraging efforts. ::Specie(s): Lepus Europaeus ::Book Mentions: Coming Soon Reptiles Adders :Adders are snakes with long, scaly bodies, greenish-brown in females and steely gray in males, that are marked with indented zig-zag stripes. Their head also possess a V or X shaped light colored marking. The bite of the adder is very dangerous, being venomous. Adders favor areas of dense woodland with sunny areas suitable for warming themselves. One was caught by Ravenpaw while he was out hunting. Also, Smallear was bitten by one. ::Specie(s): Vipera Berus ::Other Link(S): Student Health on Adder Bites ::Book Mentions: Into the Wild , Bluestar's Prophecy Snakes :Snakes are long thin animals with mottled skin in shades of dark and light brown that ranges from yellowy to red. In appearance most snakes are very similar to Adders, and in some cases it can be difficult to tell the difference. They will even behave as adders do in an attempt to frighten potential predators. Snakes favor homes near bodies of water, with good locations to both hunting rodents and sunning themselves. ::Specie(s): Coronella Austriaca & Natrix Natrix ::Book Mentions: Secrets Of The Clans, Sunrise Lizards :Lizards are small brown reptiles with mottled, leathery skin and low slung bodies. Their tails are long and whip-like, and their legs stick out of the sides of their bodies rather than behind under them. Lizards live in many areas, but favor those with ground cover and moisture that attracts the insects they eat. ::Specie(s): Lacerta Vivipara ::Book Mentions: Coming Soon Rodents Squirrels :Squirrels are kitten-sized rodents with long, fluffy tails and clever paws. The majority of squirrels are gray, though the occasional red might be seen. They are agile and can climb trees without trouble. They favor dawn and dusk as their foraging times, and are common in woodland areas. ::Specie(s): Sciurus Culgaris and Sciurus Carolinensis ::Book Mentions: Into the wild Voles :Voles are very small brown rodents with mid-length tails and small ears. All voles are nimble, though only some species of them are good climbers. They live in grassy fields, scrub-lands, woodlands and gardens with enough cover for them to be comfortable. ::Specie(s): Clethrionomys Glareolus and Microtus Agrestis ::Book Mentions: Midnight, Into the Wild (Paperback) pages 119, 130, 132, 133, 151, Bluestar's Prophecy (See here for more info on this appearance) Water Voles :Water Voles are small rodents with short noses, tails and dense brown fur. They are most active during daylight hours and prefer to make their homes near slow moving water. When disturbed they will dive into the water for safety with a distinctive 'plop'. ::Specie(s): Arvicola Terrestris ::Book Mentions: Fire and Ice: When Graystripe falls into the river, while trying to catch a water vole. ::Book Mentions: Cinderpaw, Hollypaw, and Berrypaw are on their assesment when Cinderpaw says that she caught four water voles. Mice :Mice are small brown rodents with long naked tails, whiskers, large ears and prominent dark eyes. All species are active primarily in during the night. They are agile climbers and have very sensitive hearing. They prefer to live in places with ground-cover and a steady supply of nuts and seeds for them to eat. ::Specie(s): Apodemus Sylvaticus, Micromys Minutus, and Mus Musculus ::Book Mentions: (Incomplete)Into the Wild (Paperback) pages 7-8, 11-12, Midnight (Paperback) pages 116, 139, 173 Fire and Ice (Paperback) Dormice :Dormice are round mice with a fur-covered tail. They have golden brown fur and large black eyes. Because they hibernate any time food is scarce, they are not seen as frequently as the more common mice. They eat fruit, flowers and other high-energy food, and can be found anywhere these things are abundant. ::Specie(s): Muscardinus Avellanarius ::Book Mentions: Coming Soon Rats :Rats are kitten-sized rodents with long bald tails and fur that ranges from gray-brown through black. Rats can swim and climb with great agility, and are powerful jumpers. They are intelligent, and live in colonies called mischiefs. They are also aggressive and willing to fight back when attacked, as seen in Firestar's Quest. In the world of Warriors, they live at Carrionplace, and are known to carry disease and give infection-prone bites. ::Specie(s): Rattus Norvegicus and Rattus Rattus ::Book Mentions: Into the Wild, Dawn, Firestar's Quest, Moonrise, Outcast , Secrets of the Clans Clans